Huge price some travelers charged to get home for Christmas after port nightmare
· IrishCentralTaoiseach Simon Harris said on Monday it’s "highly unlikely" Holyhead port will be back in operation before Christmas.
While alternative port routes are being examined, questions regarding their capacity remain a concern for the estimated 150,000 passengers hoping to make it home in the coming days.
The unprecedented disruption caused by Storm Darragh to the Welsh port of Holyhead is being compounded by the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
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In September, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned that Irish people returning home from the UK this Christmas will be forced to take the ferry if the cap is not lifted. He said return flights from London could cost as much as €1,000 if more flight slots were not made available. With Holyhead now out of action, those wishing to take a flight home may be charged even more than Mr O’Leary predicted.
The most expensive Ryanair flight from London Gatwick to Dublin on December 21 is £501 (€605), while a return journey on January 2 costs more than £450 (€543). As of last night, cheaper flight slots on these dates were available from as low as €276 return.
Travel expert Eoghan Corry said: "Airlines can’t step in to pick up all customers affected by the Holyhead closure due to the passenger cap. There’s not a complete shutdown of the ferry service as other ports, such as Fishguard and Pembroke, remain open but the truth is that they don’t have the capacity to cater for everyone. The flight prices in airports were going to increase anyway, but the truth is that we just need more seats."
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Damage to Holyhead port during Storm Darragh is feared to be worse than originally thought. It was intended that the port would reopen this Thursday, December 19, but this is now looking increasingly unlikely.
"Green Jersey"
Mr Harris has said the "seriousness" of the damage was becoming "more apparent as the days go by", adding: "I think it’s highly unlikely now that we will see Holyhead port functioning in any real way this side of Christmas… That is a serious concern to people who’ve bought goods and presents they’re hoping will arrive, and also people that are understandably trying to get home."
Ryanair’s Mr O’Leary said the closure of Holyhead highlights Ireland’s "tenuous transport links", adding: "Sadly, in the run-up to Christmas Irish passengers are now facing stark choices due to Eamon Ryan’s failure to act on the Dublin Airport cap, which this year has meant 220,000 fewer seats to/from Dublin, but 50,000 extra seats at Belfast this Christmas."
An Post said it had delivered the majority of items before Storm Darragh, with just 16,000 of the 500,000 yet to be received. It said ferry capacity has been created in other lanes. Department of Transport ministers met ferry firms yesterday.
Junior minister James Lawless said: "We need to continue to plan on the basis that it [Holyhead] won’t be back [by Christmas}. Irish ferries have a number of vessels available to ramp up services. They need to find a port. Rosslare and Dublin are good to go and are accepting additional sailings and connections."
Mr Lawless said it’s time to "pull on the green jersey’" but that it may not be possible to get every person and package home for Christmas. A Holyhead port spokesman said that on December 6-7, "two berthing incidents occurred affecting Terminal 3 used by Irish Ferries resulting in part of the berth structure collapsing, rendering it unusable."
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